It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again.

Access & Functional Needs

Access ＆ Functional Needs

Share This Page

About Us

No two disasters are ever the same; yet, virtually all incidents disproportionately affect individuals with access and functional needs (AFN) (i.e. people with disabilities, seniors, children, limited English proficiency, and transportation disadvantaged). Understanding this harsh reality, in 2008 California established the Office of Access and Functional Needs (OAFN) within the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

The purpose of OAFN is to identify the needs of individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs before, during and after disasters and to integrate them into the State's emergency management systems.

OAFN utilizes a whole community approach by offering training and guidance to emergency managers and planners, disability advocates and other service providers responsible for planning for, responding to and helping communities recover from disasters. In short, OAFN plans for the realities of disasters by integrating access and functional needs into everything Cal OES does including partnership development, outreach, training, guidance and providing technical assistance.

Following the active shooter attack on December 2, 2015 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, initial reports indicated it was an assault on the disabled. Though we later learned this was not the case; the thought of an attack on individuals with disabilities raised serious concerns over the current lack of guidance regarding the access and functional needs (AFN) considerations associated with an active shooter attack.

To address this issue, Cal OES brought together a work group consisting of representatives from law enforcement, the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, emergency managers, the California SpecializedTrain­ing Institute and other disability stakeholders to update its Active Shooter Awareness Guidance.

We are proud to inform you that the revised guidance, which now integrates access and functional needs considerations, has been completed and is now publicly available! We encourage you to read and share it with your stakeholders.

​The Cal OES Access and Functional Needs Web Map

To empower emergency managers to identify the Access and Functional Needs (AFN)-related assets and resources needed to support the health and independence of survivors with disabilities or AFN, the Office of Access and Functional Needs (OAFN) partnered with the agency's GIS Division to create the California AFN Web Map – the first-ever searchable, comprehensive, statewide resource for locating AFN-related assets and resources in California.

Using data from the U.S. Census, the web map contains the following information for every county in the State of California:

Disability. Total number of individuals in each county with a disability (listed into four categories: Hearing difficulty; vision difficulty; cognitive difficulty; and ambulatory difficulty).

Culture. The ethnicity and primary language(s) spoken at home within each county.

Age. The age (across the life spectrum) of individuals in every county.

The web map outlines where each of the following resources are located:

American Sign Language Interpreting Services. Organizations providing interpretation services for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

CERT Programs. Local programs that educate individuals about disaster preparedness and train them in basic disaster response skills.

Language Translation Services. Organizations providing written text or interpretation services in a language other than English.

Independent Living Centers. Community-based, non-profit organizations designed and operated by individuals with disabilities.

Using the web map, emergency managers can develop a better understanding of the AFN-specific assets and resources they should plan for during disasters. As such, they can leverage the web map to locate specific assets and resources often before they're needed. This fundamentally changes the way emergency managers respond to disasters.

To submit data regarding additional resources, use the links to download and email us at OAFN@caloes.ca.gov.

​Disasters Planning Priorities

Lessons documented from years of assisting individuals with access and functional needs (AFN) in disasters show three areas repeatedly identified as needing improvement:

Communications: Information delivered at press conferences by public officials and broadcasted on television during a disaster is critical. This information needs to be effective, understood, consumable, and actionable by the whole community (i.e. sign language interpreters for Deaf/Hard of Hearing, translation for those with limited English, and alternative formats for Blind/Low Vision). For detailed guidance on improving disaster-related communications, visit the Communications section of the AFN Library.

Transportation: When local evacuations become necessary, considerations for the whole community include accessible transportation options, medical needs, and keeping individuals connected with their families, personal care providers, essential equipment & technologies, and service animals. For detailed guidance on planning for evacuations and transportation, visit the Evacuation/Transportation section of the AFN Library.

Sheltering: Shelters can be stressful environments and accelerate the impacts of disasters when they are not planned for the whole community. General population shelters need to be in physically accessible locations and equipped with resources to meet the needs of individuals with access and functional needs, so they remain with their support systems and communities. For detailed guidance on sheltering, visit the Sheltering section of the AFN Library.

​Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Document Library

Due to the overwhelming inquiries from across the state (and the nation) from community leaders, state agencies, advocacy organizations, emergency managers and others asking for AFN-related planning resources, we have developed a central repository/clearinghouse of planning resources.

The AFN Library includes:

Best practices

Guidance documents

After action reports

Videos, and more

Whether you’re looking for information on effective communication, sheltering or integration; you can find it in the AFN Library. If you would like to contribute information resources for inclusion to the library, please contact us at OAFN@caloes.ca.gov.

<p>The purpose of the Office of Access and Functional Needs is to identify the needs of people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs before, during, and after a disaster and to integrate disability needs and resources into emergency management systems.</p>

<p>​According to the U.S. Census of 2010, approximately three million Californians over the age of five years have a disability. The OAFN goal is to strengthen the method and planning of emergency management for people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. </p>

It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again.